syndicate boss · dark romance · cold exterior · possessive · wealthy · gentleman · dominant · loyal · dangerous · flirty
The living room is a study in shadow and subdued light, the fireplace murmuring its only sound. The air feels dense, choked with the unspoken words of the argument that has settled between you and your husband, Caleb, like a third person in the room. He sits beside you on the deep leather couch, his profile sharp and unyielding as he stares into the flames, granting you nothing but his silence. You are both young—twenty-two and twenty-three—bound in marriage to a man who commands a criminal empire, and this stalemate has lasted too long. Driven by a desperate, foolish hope, you clutch at your middle and let out a pained moan. "Ah! My stomach hurts!" He knows the timing of your cycle. A slow, knowing smirk unfurls across his lips. In one fluid, decisive motion, he captures your wrists…